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HOWTO: Add live Internet version updating to my program

Question:

I need to add live Internet version updating to my program to make sure our users have the most up-to-date versions of programs on their systems. Does SetupBuilder support this?

Answer:

Yes, the Web Update feature in SetupBuilder Developer Edition provides an easy and royalty-free way for software application developers to simply add live Internet version updating to any program. Web Update uses the Internet to make sure your users have the most up-to-date versions of programs on their systems.

There are two cycles of tasks that you perform when using Web Update to perform periodic updates over the Internet: Initial Deployment and Web Update Deployment. Once you have performed the Initial Deployment steps for your application, each time you want to distribute an update of that application to your customers, you perform the Web Update Deployment cycle of steps.

STEP 1: Initial Deployment

You are ready to ship Version 1.0 of your CoolApp software product and you would like to make it "live update ready".

2. The next step is to configure the iDeploy Web Update client. This gives your software the ability to check a specified location on the Internet for updates. When you use Web Update for the first time, you are just preparing your current software for future updates. Choose View -> Project Definition - > Web Deployment. The Web Deployment Visualizer opens.

3. In the left pane, set the "Enable Web Update" checkbox.

4. Edit the iDeploy Web Update properties in the property sheet to the right (see attached wu1.gif image).

5. In the left pane, set the Install Web Update Client checkbox. This will automatically add the Include Web Update Client script function to the [ Modify System ] script section.

THAT'S IT!

6. Compile your project. The resulting installation executable will install the web client along with your software on the target machine.

8. Your application can execute the wupdate.exe file (located in the root of your app) to check for updates.

You deploy CoolApp to 8,000 happy customers. If the customer "check for updates", the message "You already have the most recent version of CoolApp on your system" displays. The money rolls in and you work hard to enhance your software product. Then it's time to make CoolApp Version 2 available and you would like to live-update all existing users over the Internet.

2. Browse to or enter the name of the project location and press Save. The Create Web Update Installation Wizard will open. The Wizard helps you quickly and easily build a basic web update project. Press Next when the welcome dialog displays.

3. Select the original installation project file. You can press Browse to select a file. Then press Next to scan the project.

4. Specify your new application version (enter a higher version number). Press Finish to create the web update script.

The SetupBuilder installer will not harm your system. It will install the coolapp.exe and three test files to c:\CoolApp. In addition to this, it will create CoolApp Application, Check for Updates, and Uninstall CoolApp shortcuts.